Bryant Books

I bought this book as a gift for a riding student of mine who will take one of my horses into a 25 mile ride this June. I thought she would find it interesting since it is what she is training for. I read it before passing it onto her, to check the accuracy of the information.

Very informative! Bryant certainly did her research into endurance riding when she wrote this. And she certainly captured the attitude of distance riders! lol, I LOVED Chloe. I'm sure some readers sympathized with the Saddle Club and found her annoying, but that is what most endurance riders are like! We're helpful, considerate and a little arrogant. Chloe's comment about "I just want to finish, this is just a conditioning ride for me. I don't care if I win," is seen as an insult by the Saddle Club, but that is really how we talk! I said almost those exact same words to a rider with a young horse last weekend!--"My horse is old. I just want the miles. I don't care if I win."

Also very happy to see a horse book that speaks favorably of Arabians (aside from Walter Farley's books). This book is an excellent "get your feet wet" introduction to distance riding and I recommend it to anyone, even adult readers, who wants to know more about the sport.

BTW, the top endurance horse in my state is a Thoroughbred. They make great endurance horses on account of their large lungs, heart and long legs.

This book is really good. I noticed that in the "Editiorial Review" they called the annoying, show-off girl in the book Kristie. THAT IS NOT HER NAME!!!!!!! Her REAL name is Chloe.
But this book is really good and really dramatic when Max, their riding instructor, falls off his horse and hurts himself.
My favorite Saddle Club girl is Stevie because I like her jokes, especially the one about the strings! You should read this book! It's really funny, interesting, and it's my favorite Saddle Club next to #60, called Hobbyhorse. You can learn a lot about horses by just reading a Saddle Club book. These books inspired me to write my own series about girls and horses, too! All of the Saddle Club books (at least the ones I've read so far) are really funny and they are my favorite series I've ever read. YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!!

There is less horse-related stuff than the description says. More typicial Saddle Club ... about snobs trying to look down on people. Don't waste your money--read the THOROUGHBRED SERIES instead of the SADDLE CLUB.

This book shows just how great the saddle club is. They take on such responsibilitly. At first I thought I wouldn't like the book because there was an annoying character that just kinda made me bored but then things started to happen. It's fill of adveture and fear and if you like sitting on the egde of your seat then this is a great book for you! It puts you in suspence!

THE SADDLE CLUB #69: ENDURANCE RIDE

WRITTEN BY: Bonnie Bryant
COVER ART BY: Paul Casale
PUBLISHED: 1997
PUBLISHED BY: Skylark
PAGES: 136
PRICE: ...
EXTRAS: None

SUMMARY:
The Saddle Club girls are participating in a new kind of horse back activity - endurance riding. They'll have to condition their horses and themselves for the grueling contest if they plan to make it across the finish line. But an annoying rider named Chloe keeps getting in the way. Carole Hanson, Stevie Lake, and Lisa Atwood are pretty sure they can finish the competition. The question is : Can they endure Chloe?

COVER ART REVIEW:
This got to be Starlight's best cover. Artists teed to forget his six-pointed star. This mostly is a scene from the book but I don't remember if it stood out. Most likely it did happen.
OVERALL: BLUE. Not much to say. This is probably one of Starlight's best cover, and he is the reason why this cover gets a blue.

BOOK REVIEW:
The Saddle Club are really fun when they act like jerks. We need more books like this. Other than that, there wasn't much to this book. Sure, a lot happen. A new sport, character development, and a serious accident happen in this book, but it still felt like a light fast read. Oh, well. The Saddle Club once again learned that they weren't born knowing everything about horses. That topic is always good for a read.
OVERALL: RED. Not the best book in the world and will mostly be remembered as the only Saddle Club book to feature endurance riding. Still, it makes for a light fast read.

This book's subtitle is "How Bear Bryant and the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide Were Denied College Football's Most Elusive Prize." The Tide were the defending back-to-back national champions in 1966. They were ranked first in both polls as the season began. They finished the season undefeated and untied - yet managed to end up ranked third behind Notre Dame and Michigan State, who had played each other to a 10-10 tie in the regular season. This book was intended to explore why that took place.

Dunnavant posits two reasons. The first is the most common argument: Notre Dame has been the most popular team in the country since the Jazz Age and routinely places higher in the polls than schools with superior records because they are the darlings of predominantly northern and eastern sportswriters. Irish head coach Ara Parseghian decided to play to preserve the tie against MSU - to sit on the ball with two minutes left to play - rather than fight for the win. His detractors claim this is because he knew they would be treated well by the pollsters in spite of the decision. He was right.

The second argument is that the season occured during the height of the civil rights movement and there was a media bias against the still-segregated Crimson Tide team and against the entire state of Alabama, the bastion of Bull Connor and George Wallace. He believes the team fell from first place simply because of politics even before Parseghian's Machiavellian move.

Virtually no one who wears Crimson will argue with the first point. Many who were not alive at the time might not have considered the second but it makes sense given the climate of 1966. All that could have been covered in a book half this size.

But the 'The Missing Ring' also seeks to illustrate why the Alabama team deserved the title, not just why the other two schools didn't. It is filled with wonderful details about the players and coaches who comprised one of the best teams in college football history and the system Paul Bryant used to create it. Each chapter has a theme and spotlights players and games from the 1966 season that exemplify it. Dunnavant does a great job of setting the atmosphere of the times both on campus and in the state of Alabama and paints colorful portraits of many young men who have become mere names in the record books but are still alive to share anecdotes and attitudes.

My only misgivings about this book are Dunnavant's tendency to repeat himself, often verbatim (I lost count of how many times he used the phrase "Bryant used this tactic to great effect in molding a team into champions" - often on facing pages), his often clumsy attempts at foreshadowing, and his unabashed boosterism. I'm aware he's an alum (although that fact is mentioned nowhere in the book or on it's dustjacket) but if he is going to build an effective case that Alabama was robbed of a threepeat he must try to at least feign objectivity. Dunnavant shows no such restraint when he arrives at the conclusion of the book. As he recounts Ara Parseghian's admittedly gutless decision to sit on the ball and trust his team's fortune to the pollsters' sycophantic relationship with Notre Dame, Dunnavant bursts into outright apoplexy, calling Parseghian everything but an Armenian-American football coach. He sounds more like a blogger than a journalist.

There were plenty of people to quote if he wanted to include the (accurate) labels gutless, cynical, cowardly, and shameful. Instead, he uses them himself. I kept wanting to reach through the book and grab Keith by the collar: "Don't do it! Hold off! Show some class. Let the facts speak for themselves. It'll just look like sour grapes if you go this route." But alas, the deed was done. It's like he had driven the ball the length of the field and into the edzone and then ruined it all with a penalty in the final seconds that negated the winning touchdown.

This was the only blemish on an otherwise fascinating book on Crimson Tide football history. I still recommend it, however, for the excellent player profiles.

Alabama was ripped off in 1966 and this book proves the point.

Never again will ND get away with such a fiasco.

The first two-thirds of this work provides an interesting and insightful tale of how a magical coach molded an amazing bunch of overachievers into a team that nearly won a third consecutive national championship in 1966. A nice book on an interesting piece of sports history. But after describing the crucial 10-10 tie between Michigan St. and Notre Dame, the author begins to sound like the president of the University of Alabama booster club and the League of South. (Note: the author's bio on the back cover, at least in the paperback version, fails to mention that he attended Alabama). He leaves out facts that might cloud his thesis that Alabama, and the South in general, was put upon by northern liberals with a superiority complex. His use of sports facts is selective as well. For instance, while complaining that Notre Dame was awarded the national championship in 1966 before the bowls games were played, he fails to point out that two of the Alabama national championships ('64 and'73) were won in years in which they were awarded the titles before LOSING bowl games to Texas and Notre Dame. He actually mentions the fact that Notre Dame beat Alabama after the '73 season, he just doesn't mention his unjustly persecuted Crimson Tide had already been awarded at least a partial national championship. In general, the author seeks to re-enforce the belief by some Southern sports fans that Notre Dame and non-Southern teams have gotten "gift" championships over the years, while Alabama hasn't gotten what it deserves. Alabama has been awarded the national championship at least a dozen times. It has a glorious football history, much of it built by the masterful motivation of Bear Bryant. For two-thirds of this book, the author tells that tale. His work could have done without the whining, preaching and cliched pop sociology.

Admittedly, this book is regional in nature, appealing to the 'Bama fan of any age. Growing up in Birmingham, attending The University, and remaining a loyal Tide fan, I found this book hard to put down. It is a quick read. Being generally aware of this sequence of events during the 1966 season, I was enthralled at the background and behind the scenes information offered by the author.

The focus on Coach Bryant and his harshness in molding championship football teams has been well documented, but what strikes me in this book is the contrast in his admonition to do everything one can to be a champion and then letting the polls sort things out in a just manner. In this instance racism, regionality, prejudice, and primitive media capabilities prevented a true NCAA Football Champion. I felt sympathy for MY team...having done all to achieve a goal and STILL not getting the prize. A lifelong lesson at such a tender age!
I have read most of the books about Bear Bryant and Alabama football, but by far, this is the most entertaining of them all. If you are an Alabama fan or a follower of college football, I highly recommend this book. Those who could care less about SEC football and the sport in general might be better served by another subject. I would have scored this book Five Stars had it not been so regional in nature. I however loved every page. Roll Tide!!! BAW c.1976

Let me say first of all that I really enjoyed this book. As an inside look at the great 66 team as well as the context of the times, I recommend it highly. On the other hand, I can't agree that Bryant and his team were unfairly cheated out of a national championship. As good as the team was, the Tide's schedule was hardly arduous, especially in light of its failure to include the two other top teams in the SEC that year, Georgia and Florida. Bear Bryant had done very well in the context of the league, but if Alabama had to go up against heavier teams with talented black athletes, I doubt the team would have fared as well. Regardless of efforts to pump up the reputation of the 66 Nebraska team, it was certainly not a great one by any means. If Alabama had played the two teams that it trailed in the 66 polls, it would probably have lost to Michigan State and almost definitely would have been beaten by Notre Dame. Either of those teams would have reduced the Tide's running attack to non-existance and Stabler's passing alone wouldn't have been enough to compensate. Cecil Dowdy was a great player, but Bubba Smith took him apart in a post season all-star game. In short, a good big one beats a good little one every time. I can certainly understand, from their perspective at least, why Bama fans might feel cheated by the poll results. In the end, however, the Tide ended up about right where they belonged.

this book wuz great! the thing i didnt like tho was that stevie was actin more like lisa! i mean, stevie would never get that excited over a report. but otherwise, it wuz great! (i also liked carole:the inside story & lisa:the inside story. those were great!)

This was a pretty good book. It wasn't as good as Saddle club "69. But this was my second book that I read of the saddle clubs series.I like the movie danger in Vermont! it was exciting! I like the fox hunt movie better than Vermont.

I loved this book! It captures the excitment from Stevie's point of veiw. It's definitely for Stevie lovers and I certainly am. I love the excitment in Vermont with Dinah and I understand her anger with her brothers somtimes, too, because I have three just like her! It's a really great book!

I loved this book! I found Stevie's views very funny; and I loved getting more detail then what was in snow ride, racehorse, and foxhunt. (The books that Stevie is talking about.) Wonderful book! Worth buying!

This book was GREAT! It is sooo unlike stevie to be exited about a school report.And what she finds about Veronica is amazing!This book is a MUST for stevie-lovers(even though i am more like Lisa,for i get very good grades and am a begining rider in western)!

I actually enjoyed reading this book, but I would never in a million years recommend it to a teenager. It might be something for a young parent to read - as an example of how NOT to raise children. Polly's parents do not make her feel loved, they do not talk to her about sex, drugs, or anything else, they give her few chores and no boundaries whatsoever, and as a result shes smoking, drinking, doing drugs, and sleeping with boys at the age of sixteen. She's a not-very-smart teenager, and her character doesn't grow at all in the book. Usually in a coming of age novel, or in any novel, really, the protagonist is supposed to grow, to learn things - to at least change in some way. But in the last chapter, she's still dating the bad boy. He physically abuses her and almost gets her arrested, but still she goes back to him. She's proud to be the girlfriend of this violent, uneducated, criminal. At 16 she would sleep with anyone she thought was cute - and then, after having sex they would be boyfriend/girlfriend and start to get to know one another. And at the end of the book she's learned nothing, but continues in this self-destructive behavior. The book brings up the subject of birth control, but it never once mentions the dangers of sexually transmitted disease. When the girl is raped, her mother comforts her by giving her a hug and saying "This happens to a lot of women." Never once does anyone advise her to report the incident to the police. On the upside, the book has made me appreciate my strict, square parents a bit more than I did before. At least when I got out from under their thumb I was a few years older than Polly, and better able to handle myself.

Every woman will be able to embrace a bit of Polly's world. She will no doubt make you appreciate you are 30 something and remind you of your inner strength that enabled you to survive the ride of your teenage years.
Share this book with all the Mother's you know with teenage daughters, this realistic novel may help them relate to a world they've either tried to forget or sadly never known.

This is an outstanding debut from a genuinely gifted writer. I adored the character of Polly with all her insecurities and bravado. In many ways, Polly represents everygirl who grows up into the woman she's destined to be in spite of her family and boyfriends. The story follows Polly from high school through to college and concentrates on her boyfriends along the way. A few relationships just end without Polly ever understanding what went wrong which is a phenomenon not uncommon to young lovers.
I found the rape scene and following consequences almost too real. Like many young women, Polly doesn't report the rape and suffers privately which is something that occurs more than we'd like to believe.
Polly is an intelligent, original and enjoyable read. I look forward to Ms. Bryant's next novel.

Polly is more of a book for young adults that was published about twenty years too late. I really wanted to like this book, but I was let down. It reminded me what it was like being a teenager again-high school, listening to music, going to shows, and chasing boys. It bothered me that this character was named Polly, and according to the author she was named after the disturbing beautiful Nirvana song of the same name- about a girl being assaulted. The cultural references and the setting are cool, but the characters are soooo boring. I wanted Polly to do something crazy, but she never did. The most interesting characters in the book were "T-Shirt Boy," the older boy Polly meets at a show was somewhat interesting, along with the British DJ she meets in college. Polly was so bland I had a hard time wondering what guys saw her. She didn't seem edgy or punk at all, in fact, a little nerdy. She was middle-class girl from Virginia with a summer job at the Disney Store in the mall wearing a skirt and loafers. How lame. Yet, at the same time, I can appreciate the spirit of the book. It did a good job at capturing a time.

I really liked Polly. She reminded me of myself searching for love. The author was very successful in weaving the theme of alcoholism and self searching throughout the novel. It wasn't obvious as we see in some writing where the author has to glaringly put these elements in the book.

That being said, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to Polly. I wanted to know who her next love was going to be. I found myself hoping that she would meet someone normal, graduate from college, and live a happy life.

There was a poster below who said that this was not realistic because who would let their kids out like Polly was. It was very realistic for me. I was out like Polly and I think that there are more young girls than we care to admit out there facing issues that Polly did.

This poster also called Polly a slut. Unfortunately, these ideals area still hanging over our heads and will keep young girls and women in denial and shame. Rape, abuse.....yeah, she's a slut. What a healthy thing to teach!

This book was really good. With it being a first novel for the author - it was EXCELLENT! I really enjoyed the story line, the characters and the romance. A great start to a great series!

For a first book this was great better than some established romance writers third of fourth books. Great characters and a realistics time span- the whole thing does not take place in 6 weeks!. The lovers take a while to go from hate, lust to love like real people. Read this and read the sequel Heavenly match as well

I read this book some time ago and it was my first book by Ms. Bryant and what a place to start. Her characters are people that you can see in your everyday life. Even though Chloe was a model she was a "down home girl". And I don't know there is something about twins in a story that I like. The twins in this story were something else. Also there was so much emotion in this book especially dealing with loss. Woooo. I could go on. This was Ms. Byant's first book but if you did not know this you would have thought she had 15 or 20 books out already! The book is that good.

This was my first Niobia Bryant book. A die hard fan of Brenda Jackson as well, I must say the reviewer who compared Niobia Bryant to Jackson was on the money!

The passion and electricity between Chloe and Devon was awesome. When the first met, they hated each other, previous sour relationships kept them from trusting or liking one another. However, after finally spending time together, the two realized that the misconceptions about each other were unfounded. After that, things became heated and oh my goodness! The passionate love scenes left me breathless...I reread them about 2 or 3 times before I moved on...Ms. Bryant tore it up!

I also enjoyed Nana Lil's influence on the family and Deshawn's (Devon's twin) charm and wit. Chloe's friend Anika was also funny. (I can't wait to read Anika's and Deshawn's story.)

I've added Ms. Bryant to my list of favorite authors and intend to buy all her books. Much respect to Ms. Bryant.

I really did love this book. She made you want to be apart of the family Nana Lil love that woman. The love sences and the story it went there for me, its a keeper.

I like the storyline and the characters, Malcolm too cute, his dad cutier BUT her friend Monique along with Miracle TRIFILING but good read going right into my collection

miss bryant does it again... one hell of a story... thank you.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a great love story. A story about taking the chance to try love again with the same person. The love scenes were awesome!!!

Malcolm & Serena's story was wonderful and I enjoyed reading there lives. These two were married young and soon realized that the marriage would not work. Despite having been best friends since they were 8 years old, their marriage quickly dissolved into anger and resentment along with the demise of their friendship. Ten years later Serena is a hair stylist with a desire to own her own salon and Malcolm became a hip hop documentary film producer living in New York City until his Grandmother passes and he has to come home to Irvington, NJ to save his family home. He's reunited with his feisty, smart-mouthed, sexy ex-wife that he loves but hated her ways when they were married. The two move back into the old place and are forced to live together for sixty days with all their old resentments. Through their stay Malcolm see's that Serena is no longer the young, jobless, careless woman that he married young and quickly divorced.

After reading this book I don't know how Serena let him go and it sure took her a long time to realize that he was truly her soul mate. In the beginning I couldn't help but to resent Serena and I felt that she was a bit immature for Malcolm personally and I sort of understand why Malcolm was the way he was. To me the reason that there marriage had failed could have been corrected or avoided if they would of take the time to correct it most marriages that start out that young usually go through these types of hurdles.

Other than that, "Let's do it again" is a passionate, emotional, fast-paced, and a sexy read. I thought it was rather cute that the author placed the interludes between the chapters about their past life. It's apparent that Ms. Bryant has a gift in delivering memorable characters that are real as it gets in the romance genre. Her books make you feel it's possible for an ordinary woman and ordinary man to experience the type of love she writes about. This book can take you into an emotional journey form point A to point B. Good job, Ms. Bryant. I can't wait for you next book so I can go through it again!

I thought I'd write since every review is so glowing. If I could rate this a 3.5 stars, I would.

I really enjoyed this book because the love between Malcolm and Serena is clearly the real thing and Ms. Bryant does a great job of showing that.

However, Serena was very over the top in her attitude and holding such a severe grudge against her ex-husband about how their marriage ended. You read this book and think he must have really done her wrong, so when they reveal what he did actually do, and it is perfectly understandable, it is a let down.

Ms. Bryant is a very good writer, she develops the love between the characters in her books and shows why they should be together very well, but this is not the first of her books where the woman has an attitude that makes her unappealing and also has held a grudge for much more time than is acceptable. I will continue to read Ms. Bryant, but I would love for one of these heroines to be truly likable and have a real problem that by the time I get to the end of the book, I am not completely discounting or disliking her character.

This was one of of my favorite SC books of all time! I wasn't suprised to find Carole worrying over her Dad, but she got a little hysterical at times. This book was so good, I couldn't put it down for a second. I would recomend this book to anyone who loves horses, just be prepared!

I love this book, but I got confused between this and other books. In this book, it says that Carole can stay in Lisa's brother's bedroom because he is at collage. But in the book Western Star on page 160 (the last sentance) Lisa says there are some advantages of being an only child. In the Starlight Christmas on page 13 at the top it says that Lisa bought a sweater for her brother. This is confusing. In the begining of most of the books it says she is an only child. What happened?

Nightmare was an excellent novel. It was very emotional. I have read many books in the saddle club series and this is one of the best! Ms. Bryant explains everything pretty well in this novel, as she does in most of her novels. I recomend this book to everyone. If you are horse-crazy, than this is the book for you.

Hi everybody! I loved this book! But it is very emotional. I almost cried! I recomend this book to any of you horse crazy lovers out there! My favorite part was when Carole yelled at Fiona, right then I was thinking "All right Carole!" Just like Carole said, "GRADES DON'T MEAN ANYTHING IT'S THE EFFORT YOU PUT INTO IT!

I found this book a great one but also a VERY sad one. Delilah is found to maybe contracted a diesese called Swamp fever. Will Carole save her? or will delilah slip threw Carole's fingers? Every single time I read this I cried. Great Book! go buy or read it! It's a must for all horse Crazy people. It also tell's you how hard It can be to lose a loved one.

When I first started reading the book, I kept getting confuse when the author used Terry and Tee for the main characther. Sometime I felt that the chapters never connected with one another, it's like subjects that were brought up in one chapter were never mention again. Terry didn't act like a chrisitan, he was still sleeping around with different women, Only in last few chapters did he started acting like a real chrisitan. I tried to like Single Man Screaming, but it was just too confusing to me.

When I first started reading the book, I kept getting confuse when the author used Terry and Tee for the main characther. Sometime I felt that the chapters never connected with one another, it's like subjects that were brought up in one chapter were never mention again. Terry didn't act like a chrisitan, he was still sleeping around with different women, Only in last few chapters did he started acting like a real chrisitan. I tried to like Single Man Screaming, but it was just too confusing to me.

I read this book last year then I read it again this year. Bryant raised questions about spirituality and manhood that really came to past in certain aspects of my life. The story of Hank and River was very well written. If someone does not understand this book, its because they were not ready to read such thought provoking literature. If you scan through then you will miss everything. That is the theme, Bryant is telling us not to scan through life, we should appreciate the small things, be spiritual and patient then blessings will come.

His poetry was excellent and went well with the story. This is a great novel, a "Future Bestseller"! Keep on writing strong stories about black folk, I'm tired of the baby mama drama books.

I was given this novel as a christmas gift and was instructedthat this is a novel to read. This nove was as flat as a paved road. It had very little substance to it. it seemed as though the author was simply just putting words on paper. none of the character a very well drawn, i couldn't understand or empathize with anything they were doing. I also didn't like the preachiness aspect of the novel. So why three stars? Because of the poetry. Huh, poetry in a novel? Yeah SMS is a novel bound together wih poems written by the main character throught various stages of his life. To be completely honest the poetry is the best part of SMS, it's insightful, uplifting and subtle. Somethine that Mr. Bryants prose is not. It seems as though he had some poems that he wanted to publish and he wrote a story to surround them. Perhaps he should have just published a book of poetry, I would've enjoyed it much more. I believe that Mr. Bryant had the best intentions in writing this novel. I commend him for tring to write a novel that deals with black men and their relationship with God. But good intentions do not make a good novel. Single man screaming isn't a bad novel it's just not a very good one. Pehaps Mr Bryant will do better next time.

I LOVED THE WAY HE USED THE WORD SCREAM AS A WAY OF DESCRIBING MEDITAION. WE ALL SCREAM INTERNALLY AND SOMETIMES WANT TO BE HEARD WITH A POSITIVE UNDERSTANDING. WHEN READING THIS PIECE I COULD FEEL WHAT THE WRITER WAS SAYING AND A PICTURE WAS CLEARLY PAINTED WHEN READING THE SCREAMS/POEMS. OFTEN TIMES WE READ ONES POEMS AND MANY INTERPRETATIONS CAN BE FORMED FROM PERSON TO PERSON. NO ONE CAN TRULY GET THE FULL MEANING OF WHAT THE WRITER MEANT AND FELT AT THE TIME OF WRITING THE PIECE. IN THIS PARTICULAR WORK THE WRITER EXPLAINS BY TELLING A STORY LEADING UP TO THE POEM WRITTEN. ME AS A READER GAIN A BETTER APPRECIATION OF WHAT WAS WRITTEN AND IN TURN CAN FEEL IF NOT RELATE TO THE MESSAGE. I LOOK FORWARD TO COLLECTING MORE OF THIS AUTHORS WORKS IN THE FUTURE TO COME. CONTINUE TO STAY POSITIVE AND GROUNDED, YOUR WRITINGS INSPIRE OTHER TO DO THE SAME. THIS BOOK HAS BEEN PURCHASED FOR ALL OF MY FRIENDS. THANK YOU.

Typee was a difficult book to read but worth the effort. There isn't much plot beyond "Tommo's" rehabilitation at the hands of the Typee and his fears that they might be cannibals. Is he being nursed back to health or fattened for a future supper? As with Moby Dick, the bulk of the text is in the form of essay and commentary. There are lengthy discussions on the language, the architecture, the music (or lack thereof), taboos and tatoos, and diet of the Typee. These extra chapters though don't have the humor that is present in Moby Dick. They are still an interesting observation on one subset of Polynesian culture.

(This review is based on the Library of America edition)

Melville's first book - and you can call it a novel, because it is - is quite an impressive work. I have to admit that during my reading of it, I didn't know how much was non-fiction and how much was fiction. In the case of a non-fiction book, I would have been rather astonished by Melville's work. But the fact is that this isn't a non-fiction book, and that as a reader you should think more of a literary work. But do not be sad!

For what Melville does remains awesome. The book begins like a novel; the narrator seeks to escape his whaler and remain some time on one of the Marquesan Islands. After numerous adventures, he's eventually caught by the Typees, and from that point on, the book becomes close to an anthropological study of the exotic habits of the tribe. Melville is very insightful and witty, and more often than not, funny. His prose is rich and wonderful. A pure pleasure to read.

"Typee" is a peek at some kind of long lost Eden, where no one has to work for a living - fruits can be plucked any time - and where there seems to be no evil. The Typees all have perfect beautiful skin, due to countless bathings during the day, and they're seldom seen to either cause or receive any harm. However, things aren't so dream-like, and the narrator is constantly haunted by the ghost of cannibalism, especially as he has no clear idea of why his captors detain him and yet treat him kindly.

The author manages to produce some very interesting comparisons between the exotic "savages" and the Western Man, and this reminds me of many a sociologic book. Society, culture, humanity, all of these - and more - are considered from a very unique perspective in "Typee". Life among the cannibals, in an Eden of sorts, that is, in short, what the novel is about. Excellent read from a master of literature.

Melville's famed magnus opus, "Moby Dick" should not be tackled without this adequate introduction to his work and dazzling literary adroitness. Do not have any apprehensions animated by a seemingly simplistic or bromide plot, for once a reader foreign to Melville's work grasps the exquisite prose and sincere romanticism ingrained in all of his novels, you're soon to become a captive of it's pages bound by an aroused imagination. Soon to learn the fame and notoriety surrounding Herman Melville is certainly not without reason and like many noble literary giants that have gone before us, his masterpieces withstand the test of time deservingly of the title, "Classic."

The quixotic idea of emerging as a castaway on a dissolute tropical island hidden from the world, deep in paradise with only the company of an exotic but mysterious native people should not deter you from believing "Typee" is of any similarity to other inferior postdating stories of the like. Melville combines a brilliantly adventurous travelogue accompanied by earnest philosophical reflections balancing it all out with anthropological observations of the Island's primitive peoples, as well as recollections of his own home. This famed novel was an ebullient endeavor during it's day which hints the emprise of such modern films as "Castaway" while engrossing the empathy of multiculturalism found in "Dances With Wolves." It is feasibly the first accurate portrait painted of South Pacific life through the eyes of a Westerner, influencing many travelogues to follow focusing on the region in the same fashion of Stevenson and Becke.

Numerous editions have been published since the original. The Penguin Classics Edition provides an introduction by author John Bryant who puts the story into context and Melville's conclusion of the supporting character's fate, written two years prior to the first edition in "Sequel: The Story of Toby."

When first published in 1846, "Typee" was an immediate hit. Readers of the era in the US and even in Europe already knew to expect stupendous things from the then obscure author. This is exemplified by the book's quantum leap to stardom. The original draft was submitted to be published in New York but was rejected supposedly because it was "too fantastic" to be true. The apparent fact that after more than a century and a half of being published readers still have an appetite for Melville's original work, must persuade even the most discriminating of literary tastes of the caliber of his writing. Do not be deceived by the age of "Typee." You needn't be a diehard classical literature enthusiast nor scholar to appreciate this very readable, gracefully written novel. Which is contrary to the sometimes unfathomable rhetoric of the bygone antebellum era. It remains still just as amusing and captivating to readers today.

"Typee" was the first of a trilogy of autobiographical novels set in the South Pacific dealing with Polynesian life. Readers of the author's lifetime couldn't get enough of his masterpieces still acclaimed today. Although not quite as well known as "Moby Dick" is to modern day readers, "Typee" is no less gripping or eloquent.

Realizing that at least some people might want to know if the book is a good read or not, I'll write a review that hopefully wont read like the opener to a thesis on early american literature: Here goes...

I liked it! I thought this Mellville guy writes and interesting and egageing story. Perhaps he does go into details that the story doesn't need, but even his tangents on trees and fruits, etc. are well written.

Worth the money, worth the time, and worth the attention. Plus, there is the added benefit of acting like a literature snob on a review.:)

Its a book, people. Relax, and enjoy.

1841. A young man of 23 is looking for adventure, he signs a contract on a New England whaler and travels to the South Pacific. Life on the ship is not what he expected, the captain is a tyrant, the life is a bore, food is terrible. The ship reaches the Marquesas after 15 months, with no commercial success so far and the prospect of another few years of the same. The islands have just been occupied and claimed by the French. What one knows of the locals is full of horror: cannibals! But also of delight: the women! On arrival in the harbour, a fantastic party with the best orgy since 15 months is happening. But nothing can distract our hero from his plan: jump ship, wait for its departure, then look for another way home. He finds a companion for the desertion and does it. Then follows an account of 4 months among the cannibals -- while in reality it lasted only 1 month. This is a fictionally embellished travel and adventure story. 5 years later, a book is published. It will be Melville's first and most successful book during his lifetime. From here on, it went down for him.
The book lets us observe one of the great American writers in his initiation phase. A future ancestor of Conrad and O'Brian, two of my addictions. I wonder why I bypassed him for so long, with the exception of the Whale, which I read 30 years ago. And loved.
Typee gives you an adventure account in exotic surroundings, told in often surprisingly fresh language, but totally free of any scientific pretension: few observations on flora, fauna or geology, but a lot of romantic landscaping. Young Melville was no Maturin.
There is a lot of ethnology, the description of the people, their village and life takes a lot of space, so does the process of miscommunicating between the two white runaways and the tribe. As a matter of fact, not much verbal communication happened, the hero spent most of his time in a kind of fog: what was his status? was he a guest? a captive? a friend? was he destined for BBQ? Only half way through the story does he meet briefly a man who speaks some English, and it becomes clear that he is indeed a captive, but to what purpose is not clear.
He does reflect on the religion of the tribe, as observed by him in the practices of rituals, and concludes that the information spread by missionaries in the US is exaggerating wildly as far as the practices of paganism are concerned. Self-serving, obviously.
He takes a strong position against the morality of our civilization as opposed to the noble naked savages that he gets to know: the white civilized man is the most ferocious animal on the face of the earth, he concludes.
He was a bit in love with fair Fayaway, no doubt.
More Melville to follow here!

This book has some great tips, but the illustrations are awful. Buy it and see for yourself. Or don't, I really don't care.

I really enjoyed this book,even beyond the learning experience. I have been fishing all my life and yet never heard of this method of casting. The book is well written, mostly about the casting technique, but with his passion for surf fishing clearly displayed. You can cast further following his advice, if only from learning to examine what you are doing during every moment of a cast. Larry

As a fisherman of nearly 20 years I figured there wasn't much more I could learn in the way of technique. After completing the first chapter I realized I was mistaken and continued through the book. I found the information to be extremely helpful and interesting just the same. With each new technique were photograph's displaying the step by step motions to help the reader grasp the concept and lesson. The visual aids were key! I wont say that after completing this book you'll be on a cable network fishing show, but it will improve the way you fish if you're looking to do that. Definately a first rate book!

Reading the reviews before I received the book, I had plans of returning it unopened. Well curiosity got to me and I opened it and read quickly through it. #1 the print and pictures are too small. #2 the pictures are in black and white . #3..the book appears to be written in the 1950's. Read all the reviews here..and you'll know what you are getting!....The only plus thing is the reduction in the price..I would say the 12.00 price from amazon saves this purchase from being a total disaster. Don't get expressed shipping since it will make the total purchase price 23.00 which is too much for this book..

Hopefully, Ron Arra will write another book with more competent guidance. He is a great surfcaster and fisherman, but there are problems with this disappointing book. The main shortcoming is dreadful illustration -- the pictures reproduced on cheap paper are photographed from the wrong perspective with the wrong lighting. The drawings are sparse. You simply cannot see the fishing rod and line position that are the subjects and purpose of the illustrations. Because the book is billed as "Complete Instructions for Longer Casting..." you would expect an A-B-C guide to surfcasting. Other useful information may be ferreted out of what reads more like edited taped interviews of fishing advice and yarns illustrating how to fish. That is not all bad -- you may learn a few tricks as you re-read this opposite-of-a-textbook. If one looks beyond the sparse drawings and bad pictures, one can garner some good tips that may come in handy. Two things learned from reading the book over and over, trying to absorb the wisdom therein: you can cast very far if you know what you are doing, and the Eastern Seaboard has some great surf fishing. I am in in the Pacific Northwest where surf fishing mostly results in tasty perch. I was hoping I might find some wisdom that would reveal there are bigger fish that prey on those perch in that very same surf. This is an East Coast book that needs serious revision. This is a little weird as Lamiglas in Western Washington State makes a terrific line of Ron Arra rods. They need to buy him a Washington fishing license and finance a few months of surf fishing research. I believe there is a hidden fishery that Ron Arra could uncover.